A Golden Sickle
by Bethan
Summary: Hermione and Severus are friends but why does he call her Sin and what happened to them when she was in college? Find out how they became friends and what Severus is like on a blind date.
1. Chapter one

The Majority of these characters and the Harry Potterverse belong to J.K.Rowling.

If you have read Asterix the Gaul or any of the other Asterix and Obelix books then the sickle will make more sense.  
Here is the official Asterix homepage -- http://www.asterix.tm.fr/english/

Thank you to Godessjen, Xan and Bonadea for all their help.

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Hermione sat by the window in her new flat staring out over the common and watching people walk hurriedly by in the rapidly dimming dusk. Severus was just about to leave and while there was still plenty to unpack they had put away all of her essentials. He had insisted that the job of unpacking her books was his and was putting the finishing touches to the bookshelves while she took a break.

As she watched him sort through the books she thought about the two of them, it had taken quite some time to get to the point of being friends. In many ways they were an unlikely match (Ron regularly reminded her of all the reasons she shouldn't be friends with him) but when it came down to it, they did have things in common and enjoyed each other's company. She thought back to how it all started...

She had been in her third year of University taking a combined course of Potions and Metacharms with a minor in Muggle Biochemistry and was trying to figure out what she should choose to do her dissertation work on. She had been torn between something practical to help the war effort, or something more Muggle based that would please her parents. One idea did thrill her but she wasn't sure about it.

Hermione spoke to her tutor about her options, but he was pretty useless and unenthusiastic about everything. Angry and frustrated with the outcome of the tutorial she penned a letter to her old potions master thinking that if someone was going criticize her idea, they may as well be intelligent about it. Professor Snape may have been rude and cutting, but he did have a way of coming straight to the point with his criticism.

At the time Hermione had kicked herself as she watched the owl fly north towards Scotland. She'd wondered if she was some sort of masochist, giving him an open invitation to squash her hopes like a beetle in his storeroom. Still, she couldn't help but wait impatiently for what he might say and how long it would take him to reply. She sat down heavily in the nearest chair trying not to think about what he might say and how long it might take him to reply. As it turned out, she had pretty much given up hope of him saying anything when a week had gone past with no response.

"I sat looking out of the library window all evening looking for a Hogwarts owl" she muttered to herself -- it was true, she had stared out into the gloom half-excited and half-apprehensive about the possibility that he might reply.

"What was that Sin?" asked Severus as he sloped into the living room carrying his coffee.

Hermione rolled her eyes on hearing the nickname he insisted on calling her. "Oh nothing, I was just remembering how I thought you didn't answer that letter about my dissertation because it gave you more of a chance to put me down than a reply would have."

"Nonsense and you know it!" replied Severus, and he was right. He had replied, in fact she had almost fallen off her lab stool in shock when she received his letter, started to read and realized that not only were there no insults, but he had been cautiously interested in the idea. He had even suggested some further reading and some useful contacts. Professor Snape had closed the letter with an invitation to keep him informed of her progress and they had started an odd sort of correspondence.

"Well, you can't blame me for thinking that, you did take your own sweet time answering me." She was teasing him; they'd had this mock argument many times since they had become friends and each time he patiently explained that it had taken him time to find the numerous references and contacts he had sent to help her.

She thought back to the letters that had flown between them in the course of that year...

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Professor Snape,

Thank you for your suggestions. James Golding was as you said very helpful  
and opened up his private library to me. I have borrowed a couple of his  
books to help me with my preliminary research and planning. I have not been  
able to locate all the books you recommended but I am waiting to hear from  
our librarian as to whether she can obtain any of them for me. I have also  
subscribed to the German potions journal you mentioned and will order a  
translation charm to go along with it. I don't understand why you  
recommended Asterix the Gaul though, and it doesn't strike me as the sort of  
book you would read.

I am extremely grateful for your attention and hope that I can call on you  
again if I need your help.  
Sincerely,  
Hermione Granger

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Miss Granger,

I am glad some of what I told you was helpful. Please feel free to continue  
to writing to me, as you know I have copious amounts of spare time to answer everyone's questions.

P. Snape.

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When she'd received the letter she'd been furious. "That does it! The pompous, over-inflated sod. He was the one who invited me to continue to keep him up to date," she thought. She decided that his useful information was not worth suffering through his arrogant and rude behaviour and that she was perfectly capable of researching this project by herself. A small voice in the back of her mind worried about her grade but she firmly put it to one side.

She whipped out her pen and wrote:

You arrogant, self-centered bore. Who do you think you are? You can take your sodding potions rag, book recommendations and especially your Asterix books and shove them where the sun doesn't shine.

Warmly,  
H.G.

and sent it off.

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Miss Granger,

I apologize for my last missive

(the letter opened -- good thing really as if it hadn't it would be aflame  
in her hand)

The Asterix reference was to remind you that you might need a golden sickle  
for your work

(why he hadn't just said that straight out?)

P. Snape

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"Severus?" said Hermione. She sat up and turned away from the window.

"Yes...?" he replied, looking up from the bookcase with a stack of books in his hand.

"Why do you like Asterix?"

"It makes me laugh"

Hermione stared out of the window once again at the strangers hurrying by in the bad weather.

"Why?"

He sighed and paused, "Does there have to be a reason?" and went back to categorizing the potions texts.

"But how did you start reading it in the first place?" that was what genuinely puzzled her.

"Albus had it lying on his desk one day, I picked it up and looked through it so I wouldn't have to answer a question he was about to ask me." Severus pulled out a couple of books from the shelves and flicked through one of them.

"Sin, can I borrow this?"

"Yes, but only if you stop calling me that ridiculous name!"

She paused before asking..."Did it work?"

"Did what work?" he replied

"Using the Asterix book as a distraction."

"What do you think?" he asked rhetorically.

She smiled and then returned back to her thoughts of their conversation, trying to remember when she started to warm to him, when she had stopped being worried that she would receive insults and slights and started to actually look forward to seeing his owl at her window.

"Severus?"

"Yes...?" he said, just a tad testy at being interrupted again.

"When did you start enjoying our correspondence?" she asked, looking up from her examination of the traffic outside to see his reaction. His face softened a little and then a smile cracked at the corners of his mouth.

"Oh, round about the time you told me to shove my Asterix book where the sun  
didn't shine."


	2. Chapter two

chapter two  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


The Majority of these characters and the Harry Potterverse belong to J.K.Rowling. 

The song is by Shania Twain who is a favourite of my husband. 

Thank you to Godessjen, Xan and Bonadea for all their help.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was Friday evening and they were once again in her flat. They had just had dinner together and were savouring the last of the Cabernet while Hermione decided whether to break out ice cream. She was teasing Severus and the topic of past romantic relationships came up.   
  
"Well what about that idiot you dated during college? He had the intellectual capacity of a flobberworm on heat"  
  
"Severus! Conor was kind and sweet."  
  
"Okay, a pathetically kind flobberworm. Even Neville Longbottom would be a better choice than that idiot"  
  
"Well at least someone liked me enough to go out with me and suffer your glares. When was the last time you had a date?"  
  
Severus stiffened and was about to say something scathing when Hermione added "stupid question, you are too much in love with me to go out on a casual date."   
  
Severus looked shocked for a second before composing himself. "That's not true, I would if I met someone I wanted to spend more than five minutes with."  
  
"Ok, well in that case I propose a double date. I have a colleague from work I'd like you to meet."   
  
__________________________________________________________  
  
They had all met at a pub in Marlow and were sat in a booth. Hermione had asked Ron to be her date and she had asked Marian from work to meet Severus.   
  
Within seconds of arriving Severus knew that this evening was likely to be a long one.  
  
Ron was doing his best to be the brash, loud, annoying lout he always was and if he grabbed Hermione for a kiss one more time Severus was likely to loose his temper. Marian was at best annoying and simpering. Ron and Hermione had taken one side of the booth and so he was stuck crammed in a corner with Marian sitting virtually on top of him while she told him how wonderful his hands were and how she just loved intelligent men. She had just started on "how romantic it must be to confine oneself to a dungeon" when Hermione leaned over the table and whispered "I want to talk to Ron, we're going down to the river, will be back in a bit." He sent her a venomous look which clearly said "later" and turned back to Marian who was obviously oblivious to how he felt about her company and proceded to ask whether he thought wool or cotton made for better Autumn robes.  


"What did you do with the real Marian and who is that in the pub?" asked Ron once they were out of earshot "And why did you want me to be all over you?" Marian and Ron knew each other from when they had worked together. Marian had been at The Ministry until Hermione had persuaded her to join Biopo.  
  
Hermione explained that since "that incident" in her final year at college that she had outwardly regarded him as a friend. In her own thoughts however, she regarded him as much more. How else could she feel about her "knight in shining armor" (if you could describe someone as scratchy as Sev like that). Snape had either not realized how she felt or he simply didn't care.  
  
She told Ron that she had been listening to the radio and a twangy new country song had just hit the charts. The lyrics weren't the most subtle but they had kicked her into action  
  
"Don't wantcha for the weekend - don't wantcha for a night  
I'm only interested if I can have you for life - yeah  
Uh, I know I sound serious - and baby I am  
You're a fine piece of real estate, and I'm gonna get me some land  
  
I've already planned it - here's how it's gonna be  
I'm gonna love you and - you're gonna fall in love with me"  
  
She hadn't managed to come up with much of a plan on how to persuade Sev past "Severus, I love you" and she doubted very much that her cynical best friend would go for that but a flash of brilliance had hit her during her conversation on Friday.  
  
"Flash of brilliance?!?" said Ron doubtfully. "Let me get this straight, you ask your longtime gay friend.." Ron started. 

"Ah, but you know Sev doesn't know that" interupted Hermione. 

"Like I was saying" continued Ron "Your charming and handsome gay friend to try and snog you and your cute and usually brilliant colleague to act dumb. I don't get it, how is that meant to get Sev's pants off?" Hermione gave a feigned gasp of shock, followed by a grin.   
  
"Well..." she said "He would get jealous of you kissing me and Marian would make me look good in comparison." She had to admit, the plan looked a little less brilliant with the retelling.  
  
^~^  
  
Back in the pub, Severus had suffered through topics such as what colour Marian's hair should be for Christmas and how Gilderoy Lockhart had once again appeared in Witches Weekly. He was more than ready to leave when Ron and Hermione heaved back into sight. He glared at them, then turned to the vacant looking idiot next to him and gave her a half nod and thanked her for her charming company. "Are you ready to leave yet Marian?" he inquired. She barely had time to reply when he continued "I would like to see you safely home." Ron and Hermione also got up to leave and the girls walked arm in arm into the street.   
  
Hermione and Marian were giggling and talking about the evening. Severus caught snippets of their conversation.   
  
"I think he likes you Marian"  
  
"He is very gallant Hermione and I had a wonderful time. Perhaps you could set this up again."  
  
Severus groaned internally and made mental notes to himself to make it very clear to Hermione that he never wanted to go on a blind date arranged by her again.  
  
He cleared his throat and rearranged his face into a more pleasant expression before saying "Marian, shall we be going now?" The two of them turned down an alley so that they could be away from the crowds and apparate without being seen. As he turned back to say good-bye to Hermione he saw Ron had her in a clinch and was about to explore her tonsils. Angrily, he took Marian's arm and they were gone.  
  
Marian tried to invite Severus in for a nightcap but he insisted that he needed to go, he thanked her once again for the evening and kissed her hand and then pulled his cloak around him and was gone. Marian kicked her shoes off and went into her kitchen to make herself a cup of cocoa. She could definitely see what Hermione saw in him and indulged herself in a little wistful thinking of what their date might have been like if she had not had to play a simpering fool. She knew she would have warm thoughts to accompany her to bed at least this evening.   
  
Meanwhile Severus had decided that he needed time to think and thus went back to Marlow and walked down to the river. The drunken teenagers had almost all gone home now and it was dark and quiet and most importantly conducive to thought. He cast a notice-me-not spell so that he wouldn't be disturbed and headed off along the Thames towards Henley. He had hoped to figure out why Hermione had behaved that way during the evening, but the more he walked the faster he went and the angrier he got.   


^~^  
  
Hermione was just a little surprised, Severus had just apparated straight into her living room instead of appearing in the hallway by her front door. "I'm glad you finally decided to dispense with the formality of knocking Severus," she said. Severus glared at her. He was looking like a storm cloud about to break. "I see you borrowed some manners Mr. Weasley and saw her safely home" he said scathingly, not breaking eye contact with Hermione. Ron swallowed and excused himself on the pretense of making coffee for them all, but as he got up Severus told him to sit down and shut up and then he strode across the room to help himself to a bottle of Irish Whiskey and a couple of tumblers.  
  
Severus poured himself a large glass of whiskey and then gestured to the bottle. Hermione declined, but Ron with a false brightness poured himself a large one, sat back into the sofa and gave Hermione a supportive hug. "I've had just about all I can take of your teenage public displays of affection Mr Weasley" Severus said.  
  
"Oh Severus, I do believe you are jealous!" Hermione said. She was enjoying herself despite her friend's obviously foul mood. Ron didn't say anything, he knew better than to get between these two when they were on the cusp of an argument, he just sat drinking his whiskey knowing that the closer he got to the bottom of the glass, the less he would care about what Old Greasy Git thought. 

  



	3. Chapter three

Chapter three  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


"Jealous?" Severus spat. "Of Weasley? You must be joking". He took a big swig of whiskey. "I don't know what sort of game you were trying to play tonight Hermione, but I don't enjoy being anyone's toy." He drained his glass and threw it into the fireplace.   
  
"Severus, don't you think you are a little old for temper tantrums?" said Hermione as she summoned the pieces of her tumbler and repaired it. She poured Severus another glass and offered to him.  
  
"What on earth were you thinking when you set me up with Marian? Do you have any, ANY idea of the conversation I had to suffer through while you were away?" He was pacing back and forth spitting out his words in a rage. Hermione had had many disagreements with him over the past few years, but she couldn't remember him being quite so indignant for a long time.   
  
He continued to rant, "How big her thighs were and the many different diets she had tried as a result. What clothes shops sell gowns that shimmer and of those which were having a one day sale before Christmas. Then she wanted ME to go shopping with her. She had the gall to ask if I had thought of going into the skincare potion business. My gods, she even hinted for an invitation to join one of my potions classes, she called the students adorable! My Slytherins would have her for lunch." He had stopped pacing and stood in front of her glaring down while she tried to stop herself from laughing out loud.  
  
"Hermione," he reasoned "How could you think so little of me to set me up with such a...a...a..."  
  
"Nincompoop?" Hermione helpfully offered.  
  
Ron decided to join in, "Turkey?" he said as he got up and helped himself to another glass.  
  
Hermione started to giggle. "How about blockhead?"  
  
"Ninny?" he countered.  
  
"Idiot?"  
  
"Haha, I have one! How about birdbrain?" laughed Ron, trying not to inhale the whiskey he was glugging.  
  
Ron and Hermione were by then clutching their sides and guffawing. Severus had got up and turned away from them and was now sat in an armchair looking out of the window apparently trying to ignore them.   
  
"Shhh-sshs-haha-sshhh," said Ron, but everytime one of them looked at the other they started all over again. Hermione's ribs were starting to hurt and breathing was becoming painful.   
  
"You must admit though, Marian does have a nice arse," said Ron and then, in a loud stage whisper he said, "If you swing that way".  
  
Without turning to face them, Severus dryly said "Well you always did follow Potters lead, why change the habit of a lifetime?"  
  
Hermione got up and headed for the kitchen, "Severus, Ron, I REALLY think you both need that coffee now. That is..." she giggled "...unless you two would rather both wake up together in my spare bed tomorrow morning!"  
  
Ron smiled and sat down on the arm of the chair Snape was sitting in. Knowing now how much it would torment Snape he put his hand on Severus' thigh and looked him in the eye. He was enjoying making Snape squirm after years of the reverse. Snape gave Ron a look which clearly said that if he had been in his lab that Ron's hand would be bottled and brewed by now.  
  
"Well if you don't want to discuss how incredibly sexy I am, how about you tell me about the night you two tested her dissertation work?" 


	4. Chapter four

Chapter four  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


"What do you remember about Hermione's project?" Severus asked Ron. 

"Well, it was something about enjoying being cursed, wasn't it?" replied Ron. 

"No, not exactly," said Severus wryly.  
  
Severus explained that it was around the time Hermione started college that it had become widely accepted by those in the know that the Crucio curse had a lesser effect on you if you didn't fight it. Hermione had hypothesized that if one could convince the body to wholeheartedly welcome the curse then it might loose its power over you. Her tutor and his colleagues had not had much imagination and clearly had thought her crazy for making such a suggestion but Severus had seen the simple genius behind such a concept. It had been the most interesting solution to their problem that had been proposed so far and he had been determined to help her all he could.  
  
Her preliminary research into the idea had seemed to suggest that a multi-prong approach to this problem would have the most chance of success so she had drawn on all her skills and knowledge, charms, potions, arithmancy, and muggle sciences such as biochemistry. Severus had been more than willing to be a sounding board and to use his contacts to benefit her work.  
  
"Okay, but what has that got to do with..." Ron interrupted but stopped mid-sentence when he looked at his old professor.  
  
Severus told Ron that her hard work had paid off and finally, they were ready to test her final product. She had needed permission from the Ministry of Magic to use crucio on a test subject. He had offered and because there was no love lost between him and the big wigs at The Ministry they had readily agreed to allow him to be tortured by crucio. 

By this time they had become close friends and partners. Severus had spent much of his spare time with her working side by side. She had been extremely reluctant, reticent even to cast the spell on him but he had insisted telling her that she would not be able to complete her dissertation in the time allotted if they had to go back to the ministry and ask permission once again. Besides, he had joked, they were hardly likely to approve an ex-Death Eater casting an unforgivable on their Golden Girl. 

She needn't have worried, it worked very well. It was like having a mild case of the flu where your head swims and you ache all over. 

"We were elated," Severus said. "A breakthrough and it had worked better than we even hoped."  
  
"I can imagine," said Ron. 

"Imagine what?" asked Hermione as she came back into the room bearing a tray of steaming coffee.  
  
"I'm explaining about the work you did on your dissertation Sin," said Severus.  
  
Severus continued his story, they had decided that they needed to test it in the field. 

After talking, no arguing, about it at length they had decided on a plan. They knew that if Severus got Lucius riled enough that Malfoy Sr. would be likely to hex him. He also knew that Lucius would not dare to risk Voldemort's wrath by killing him. The plan was that Severus would contact Lucius Malfoy and arrange to meet him at Malfoy Manor on the next Friday. Hermione had argued that she should be the one to go.  
  
Hermione interrupted, "It was my work after all."  
  
"Yes, but you had no prior experience of crucio to compare it with and Lucius would have been suspicious if you had asked to meet with him," Severus explained patiently.  
  
"Well, he was suspicious anyway Sev," replied Hermione.  
  
"Don't keep me dangling, what happened with Mr. Evil on that Friday?" asked Ron, he could tell that they had had this discussion many times before and was hoping to hear the rest of the story before he passed out.  
  
"Well, I had arranged with Lucius to apparate into the grounds and he would come and greet me," started Severus. 

"And I insisted on being there too. But Prof. Stuffy here wouldn't hear of it," said Hermione. "I decided that rather than argue again about it, I would just track Severus and follow him."  
  
"Track him?" queried Ron. "With a locating spell?" 

"Not exactly," said Hermione looking smug. "Remember the Charm I gave to Severus for Christmas one year?"  
  
"No." 

"Yes, you do, you helped me plan some of it." She rolled her eyes and muttered "men!" under her breath and then looked at Sev and said "will you show it to him please Severus?"  
  
Severus reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden disk. On one side there was a Golden sickle, but when Snape flicked it over it showed a picture of Hermione. 

"Oh I remember, you said you were going to make it a portkey!" said Ron, who was obviously pleased that his whiskey-addled brain was still functioning.  
  
Hermione told him that yes, she had charmed it to be a portkey, Severus only had to activate it with a single word and then it would take him home if he was ever in danger. What she hadn't told Severus was that she had also had a GPS locator embedded in it. She knew that Severus would never accept the charm if he detected a location spell on it but she was fairly certain that he wouldn't know about the muggle methods of locating something.  
  
"Hermione was correct in her thinking," Severus said. "Although I admit, it has come in useful a few times."  
  
He continued the story telling Ron that he was in the middle of staging a confrontation with Lucius when he heard a commotion behind him.  
  
"I had located him, apparated a short distance away and had crept over to where the two men were," continued Hermione. She passed a coffee to each of her friends and sunk into the chair and sipped her coffee before continuing. "I was hiding behind a bush keeping an eye on what was going on when I suddenly felt a wand at the back of my neck. 'What do we have here?' I heard a familiar voice say 'I thought Father got rid of all the vermin!'"  
  
"Draco," murmured Ron  
  
"Yes," said Severus. "I turned to see Draco poised ready to curse her from point blank range and without thinking I lunged towards Hermione. Lucius took his chance to hex me as my back was turned."  
  
Severus then told Ron that Hermione's secret weapon had worked somewhat. Severus was injured but the potion/spell combination enabled him to stay lucid and able to act despite the pain. He grabbed her arm and activated the portkey before Draco had the chance to hurt her. They had landed in a heap in her University rooms. 

"Wow!" said Ron. "It didn't work quite right then?"  
  
"No, it didn't," said Hermione, "and I worked like an obsessed woman in the lab for weeks afterwards trying to figure out why it worked better when I cast it than when Lucius had."  
  
"That's not what I meant," replied Ron. "What spell did you use to turn the charm into a portkey?"  
  
"Hampus Heartonia," said Hermione slowly. "Why?"  
  
Ron grinned and said, "Well that explains it!" He snorted, "My mother calls that that the 'home is where the heart is' spell." 


	5. Chapter five

Chapter five  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


Ron got up and said, "Well then...." Hermione and Severus were sitting in stunned silence. "I'll be off then..." still nothing. "Harry will be wondering where I am," he tried one last time but when neither looked up he smiled, shook his head and disapperated.   
  
Hermione was deep in thought, her eyes unfocused and staring down at the empty coffee cup she was holding, there was a mouthful left at the bottom, but some of the grounds had escaped and it was a little gritty. It wasn't a great surprise to her that in the days following their lucky escape from Lucius that she had missed the fact that the portkey had not worked correctly.   
  
She had been totally involved in her work, immersed in paperwork and books trying to find the missing link that had caused her work to be less effective in the field than in her lab. With Severus' help she had perfected her research and had gone on to complete her degree with First Class Honours and had secured herself a reputation as a solid researcher in her field.  
  
What she found so utterly incredible about this though was that not only had Ron figured out that her portkey had not worked the way that she had intended, but that he had figured out why. It had obviously taken a fresh pair of eyes to see it... but what was it that he had figured out? "That explains it," he had said. 'Explains what?' she thought. She took a deep breath and was mulling it over when she suddenly looked up, her eyes widened a little and she realised why they had not gone to Hogwarts that night.  
  
"Home is where the heart is," Ron had said. He sees my flat as home.   
  
His heart belongs here.   
  
He belongs here.   
  
She felt giddy with excitement, her heart was doing somersaults and her hands were shaky but she managed to calm herself. She had to know what Severus was thinking. Did he know? She looked up at him, he was totally still and quiet as if frozen in the moment. There was a black scowl on his face and Hermione could not tell whether it was anger or deep thought that was causing the dark expression.   
  
"Severus? Are you ok?" she murmured. Worry touched her for a moment when he didn't reply, so she leaned forward and touched his knee as she repeated her question. He didn't even look up but she heard him whisper "I didn't realize."   
  
Hermione moved to sit on the arm of the chair he was sitting in as she asked, "Realize what?" Severus froze for a second and it occured to her that he had been thinking out loud. She put her hand on his shoulder and said, "What didn't you realize Severus?"  
  
He looked up, "That we didn't go to Hogwarts."   
  
"No, we went to my flat," she replied.  
  
He had no smart remark about her stating the obvious for once.  
  
"Why do you think we didn't go to your Hogwart's suite?" she prodded gently  
  
Severus shook his head, "I used the correct activation key."   
  
"Yes," she said.  
  
"It was meant to take me home."  
  
"Where do you consider home Sev?"  
  
"Well I live at Hogwarts..." he started, but she interrupted "yes, but if home is where the heart is..."  
  
He looked up and as his eyes met hers she could see that he now knew.   
  
"Hermione..."  
  
"I know," she said simply.   
  
She could see that he had started to panic. He started running his fingers desperately through his hair like he did when he was worried or nervous.  
  
"I knew he was gay but he was all over you. I was so angry at him. He has no right to kiss you like that, I'm the one that should be holding you as he did, I've dreamed about it often enough."  
  
"Oh Severus." She looked at him with what she hoped were "snog me senseless" eyes.  
  
Severus tugged at her jacket, it didn't take much for it to fall off her arm and slink to the floor leaving her wearing a sleeveless vest. He ran one hand up her arm, his fingers slowly tracing small soft circles. His dark eyes fixed on her, whispering as he went. It felt like every nerve-ending he touched in turn was burning. As he reached her shoulder she felt his other hand on her waist gently but persistently pulling her closer to him. Her eyes followed his hand as his slow, steady circles reached her neck. She thought her heart was going to burst, this man whom she had loved and wanted for so long was caressing her gently. He had stopped whispering and caressing her neck and as she looked up to see why she could see him searching her eyes, looking for some answer to a question she didn't know.   
  
Severus looked deep into his friend's eyes. His brain was clouded from the whiskey and it was hard to think straight. His body didn't have the same problem and he had certainly rehearsed this scene many times in his daydreams before... so much so that he could almost taste her soft lips already. He pulled her even closer, all the while continuing to hold her gaze and was now close enough that he could feel her breath gently playing over his lips. He started to say something but she quietened him by quickly leaning towards him and kissing him full on the lips. His hand holding the back of her neck tightened and she could feel his strong slim fingers woven through her hair as both her living room and her mind blurred. Hermione relaxed fully in his embrace becoming fluid, she could still feel the touch of his fingers on her arms. He tightened his grip on her and as he did a quiet groan registered deep in her throat.  
  
Suddenly as quickly as the kiss had begun it was over. Severus had sat back and was looking intently at her hands, which he was now holding. Her heart stopped for a second and she felt a catch in her throat as he said said, "Sin, I can't do this, I have to go". Hermione felt tears start to form in her eyes, he could admit his feelings, kiss her and then just leave without any explanation. She looked down at his face, one that had become so familiar over the past few years silently willing him to look up at her so she could smile and reassure him.  
  
"You can't just kiss me and run back to Hogwarts without saying anything Sev..." she pleaded. "Tell me what is wrong." 

She was scared now, he wouldn't even look in her eyes as he said, "I'd really rather talk about this with you when I have a better chance of remembering it in the morning." And with that he was gone. 


	6. Chapter six

  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


The next morning dawned far too bright and breezy. Ron could hear Harry clattering around in the kitchen and he groaned and pulled his head under the pillow. "Ron! Get up, Marian wants a word!" yelled Harry from downstairs. 

"I'll talk to her up here," Ron replied and a moment later Marian came through the fireplace in their bedroom.  
  
"Marian!" exclaimed Ron as he clutched the covers. "I didn't mean for you to come in person!"  
  
She shushed him and plopped down on the foot of the bed and said "So did anything happen between them last night?"  
  
"I'd like to know that too," Harry grinned as he came in the room with a couple of cups of tea.  
  
Ron groaned. "Do you both have to be quite so cheerful and loud first thing in the morning?"  
  
"Ron..." they both prompted  
  
"I left before anything really happened, but I can tell you that Severus definitely loves her," he replied.  
  
"Okay, this is the plan," started Marian, "you go see Hermione and find out what happened. I'll go see Severus. We'll meet at the Three Broomsticks for lunch."  
  
"How are you going to persuade Snape to go out for lunch with you Marian? He doesn't exactly have a high opinion of you, you know," said Ron.  
  
"Don't worry about that, just find out what happened from Hermione and meet us at 12.30," said Marian firmly.  
  
~*~*~*~  
  
Severus was in his potions classroom bent over his desk with his face in his hands. His head hurt despite the hangover potion he had taken. He had kissed her, what an idiot. 'Way to really screw up a friendship,' he thought to himself. He looked up and groaned. That was all he needed this morning. Marian had invited herself to visit. He let his head fall back on his hands.  
  
"Good morning Severus," she said brightly. When he didn't respond she looked around his classroom. "Nice lab you have here Professor Snape."   
  
"Why did you come Marian?" he asked without lifting his head but she ignored him and wandered into his potions storeroom. She was running her hands down the shelves. "Boletus, Bitterwood, Bladderwrack," she was identifying some of the ingredients in their unmarked jars. Severus looked at her warily. "Phoenix vexillum! Where did you get that?" she exclaimed and was gratified to see that Severus showed a brief flash of surprise.  
  
"Hermione didn't tell you that my work involves potions as well as charms did she?" said Marian.   
  
"No, she failed to mention that"  
  
"Ah wudrofe," sighed Marian. "I did my final paper on the historical uses of that in Weader's class"  
  
Severus now looked interested. "You studied under Weader?"  
  
Marian ignored his question and touched his arm as she said, "Severus, we didn't get off to a very good start last night." 

He recoiled from her touch as he said, "We didn't get off to any kind of start last night. I have no interest in a relationship, I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear to you."  
  
"I know," she said gently. "I don't either but I would like to have a chance to talk to you properly."  
  
Severus stared at her. "Miss McClarin, I have no..." 

She interrupted, "Severus, one conversation just one conversation so I can prove to you that I'm not the idiot that I appeared to be last night."  
  
"If I agree will you get out of my classroom so I can prepare to teach?" 

She nodded her assent. "I'll leave as soon as you agree to meet me at the Three Broomsticks today for lunch."  
  
"Done," said Snape as he turned to the blackboard and started to write.  
  
*!*!*!*!*  
  
Marian and Severus were sitting in the Three Broomsticks eating lunch, she had, he discovered, a very thorough background in potions even though it had not been her major at university. They had been making small talk for a while and Severus started to relax, he was surprised to find that Marian could be enjoyable company. The conversation naturally turned to their mutual friend and Marian asked him, "So what's the history behind the nickname?"  
  
"Whose nickname?"  
  
"Hermione's. You call her 'Sin'."  
  
He chuckled, "One weekend Hermione had been trying to persuade me to accompany her to a Christmas social at work."  
  
"Oh the infamous Biopo staff party!" laughed Marian, "I'm not surprised you didn't want to go."  
  
"Yes quite, well she tried all her usual methods but I was determined not to go so she thought she would give me that "poor little cold and lost puppy dog" look on me. I had had enough of her whining and arm twisting."   
  
"I told her 'Don't you try to take advantage of our friendship by using those nutmeg eyes of yours on me.' She glowered at me and so I added 'You've tried that before and I didn't like it then and I like it even less now.' I got up to leave the room in an attempt to finish the conversation before one of us lost our temper when she angrily yelled, "I wasn't going to," to my rapidly departing back. "Besides they aren't nutmeg coloured, they are cinnamon!'"  
  
"And from then on you have called her 'Sin,'" said Marian nodding in sympathy. "How sweet!"  
  
They continued eating their lunch until Marian said, "So what happened last night after you left mine? I know you went to Hermione's"  
  
Severus looked at her, he was obviously trying to decide what to say to her when she looked past his shoulder and waved. "Hi Ron!" He turned around in time to see a shocked Hermione hiss something at Ron and leave.   
  
Severus groaned.   
  
"What's wrong Severus? You don't think Hermione was jealous of seeing us two together do you?" asked Marian.  
  
"No, I think after last night she doesn't want to speak or hear from me again."  
  
Marian was itching to ask what happened between them the night before but instead got up, dragged Severus out of his seat and propelled him towards the door saying, "Talk to her."  



	7. Chapter seven

Chapter seven  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


Ron followed Hermione outside and caught her arm just before she disapparated.  
  
"Hermione! Where are you going?"  
  
She was too angry to speak and shook her head at him, pausing a second while she formulated her words, trying to vocalize exactly everything she was angry about.  
  
"A quiet lunch? Just the two of us?"  
  
"Well, Marian..." he started but faltered as he looked at Hermione who had more than a passing resemblance to Molly Weasley when interrupted in full flow anger mode.  
  
"How could you? Did I ask for your help Ron Weasley? What makes you even think that Severus _wants_ to talk to me?"  
  
"But..."  
  
"But nothing, if he wanted to talk to me he would have come and seen me Ron." 'And if he loved me, wanted me, he wouldn't have left' were her unspoken words.   
  
She was still angry with him and he was trying desperately to think of something to excuse his behaviour when he saw Marian open the door and push a flustered Snape out into the street to join them.  
  
Ron felt it would be best if he left.  
  
"I'll be inside if you need me"   
  
Just like the night before Ron had left the two of them facing each other silently, not knowing what to say to each other. When they were two friends talking to each other had been easy, they had been relaxed and comfortable in each other's company. They were both on unchartered ground here though and neither knew quite what to say or how to begin. Unlike the day before, however, it was Severus who broke the silence between them.  
  
"Hermione, I'm sorry."  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"I didn't mean to screw up."  
  
"Screw up?" She was aware of sounding a little like a parrot but she wasn't sure what Severus was trying to say.  
  
"Our friendship is of great value to me. I have had very little opportunity in my life for friendship as you know. I was stupid to even consider jeopardizing that, I'm sorry Hermione, last night..."  
  
"Severus stop! Just don't say it was all a mistake because I couldn't bear that."  
  
Severus was confused. On one hand Hermione had seemed distressed with him leaving the previous night. Although he didn't have much experience with women finding him attractive it had appeared that she had been interested in kissing him, and she didn't seem to want to label his drunken fumbling as a mistake. On the other hand, she had no desire to see him in the pub and had been doing a good impression of angry at the idea of having lunch with him or even speaking with him in passing. She had also not answered when he tried to floo her as soon as he had woken up or replied to his owl at work.  
  
"Well that's what it is isn't it? If you are so angry at me that you won't even acknowledge me in a pub."  
  
"Oh God no, Severus you couldn't be more wrong."  
  
She was about to explain when she looked at her watch and groaned.   
  
"I have to go...my boss...I'm late for work.... Are you free tonight? Please?"  
  
He nodded and then was alone.  
  
'Well no use standing here like an idiot Severus,' he thought to himself and started the long walk back to Hogwarts taking the opportunity to vent some of his frustration on passersby. 

------------------------------------- Author's Notes ----------------------------------------

Just a chaplet I'm afraid this time. Hope to have a little more next time. Thanks for all the reviews. Writing this has been so much fun and the reviews have been the cherry and whipped cream on top. 

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	8. Chapter eight

Chapter eight  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


Hermione had not been much use at work that afternoon and was glad to leave when 5.30 p.m. came around. On arriving home she went down to check her mail and found a letter from her mother along with the usual junk and bills. She walked back upstairs reading as she went and into the bathroom to turn on the taps and run herself a deep hot bath. Picking her mail back up she went into the kitchen and absentmindedly helped herself to some cereal in a bowl decorated with holly leaves and reindeer. 

The letter rambled on with her mother's news. Her parents had won a weekend trip to Paris in the local rag and her mother seemed excited at the prospect. She talked about the dinner they had had at the Weasley's the previous week. Her mother had also asked about Severus, enquiring if she had seen much of him and suggesting she bring him to dinner one night next week if they were free. Hermione could just imagine how Severus would feel about that. 

By the time she had sorted the junk mail into the recycle bin and had finished reading her mother's letter her bath was deep and steamy and she was glad to sink into it and reccuperate from the last few stressful days. On one hand they had been exciting and wonderful. She groaned as she remembered how it felt to have Severus holding her tight and kissing her. On the other hand, it appeared that Severus was not keen to repeat it and she wasn't sure how she was going to cope having him as 'just a friend' now when his very prescence in a room made her giddy. 

She tried to push these thoughts aside and think about the evening ahead. It wouldn't hurt at all to look her best when she went to Hogwarts that evening and she knew that Severus would be busy with school duties for at least another hour so she had plenty of time to relax and think about the evening ahead of her. She relaxed in the bath with a milk and honey face pack that her mother had sent in the letter while practising some of the things she could say to Severus. "Just kiss me you fool" was the best she had come up with followed by "I need to know if you love me." She cleaned her face off with a facecloth and stepped out of the bath and wrapped herself in a large bath towel while still contemplating the enigma she would be facing in a little less than an hour. Finally she rubbed some lightly perfumed lavender body oil over her body before walking to her bedroom wardrobe to choose what she would wear. 

She decided on a black robe with some discrete plum coloured pictish-style embroidery on the cuffs, hems and facings and a plum coloured cape to keep her warm. She chose some purple silk underwear just in case things went better than she hoped. "Not that he is likely to see underneath my robes, considering the brush off that I wouldn't let him say this lunchtime," she thought to herself, "but if he did it would not do at all for him to see my M&S once-white undies that I washed with a black sock by accident one day." She went into the living room to check the time and to look at the weather outside before turning back to her bedroom to pick up her wand. As she did she heard a knock on the door and started to panic as she was not ready to hear what he had to say. She tucked her wand into her pocket, took a deep breath and walked towards the door. 

Hermione open the door expecting to see Severus standing there but was surprised and taken aback to see two policemen. "Good Evening Miss. We're from Cambridge Constabulary," said one of them. "May we come in?" She nodded and guestured for them to go into the sitting room. 

Hermione could have been knocked over with a feather. What on earth were they doing here? Had the old biddy downstairs complained about her again? Had her bike been stolen? The policemen shook their heads and one of them said "No Miss, I'm afraid it is a little more serious than that. Can you tell me your name and where you work please?" 

A thoroughly confused Hermione replied, "Hermione Granger and I'm a Research Biochemist at Biopo on Milton Road." 

"We'd like you to come down to the station to answer some questions if you wouldn't mind." 

"Yes...yes,of course. Let me get something warm to put on." She walked out of the room followed by the officers to fetch her cape and together they walked downstairs to the waiting police car. 

*~*~* 

Down at the station they were asking more questions. What was her name, where did she live (both seemed pretty pointless questions as she had already told them her name and they knew where she lived). Where did she work? Had she been at work today? What time had she left work? When had she arrived home? Could anyone vouch for her arriving home? 

She automatically answered each of their questions before adding one of her own. "What has happened? And why are you asking me these questions?" 

They didn't answer her question but continued to ask, "Did you leave work anytime before 5.30 p.m.?" 

"Yes, I went to lunch at a pub with a friend." 

"Who did you go with and where did you go?" 

"I'm not going to answer anything more unless you tell me why I'm here." 

The policemen glanced at each other before the second turned to her and said, "A man was seriously injured today. Witnesses say the attacker was a woman matching your description." 

"I want to speak with my lawyer." 

*~*~*~*~* 

Alan was not strictly a defence lawyer, but she knew and trusted him as she had worked with him numerous times because of her work with Biopo. He was also the only wizard lawyer she knew personally and she knew that if he could not help her he would find someone else who could. He was muggleborn like herself and was equally skilled and knowledgeable about Wizard Law and Muggle Law. She panicked for a second while waiting to see if he would pick up at the other end. 

"Alan, I'm at Parkside Police Station. I need you." 

"Hermione?" 

"Yes, please come." 

It took him a while to get down to the station. Of course, she thought, it would look suspicious if he apparated and got there mere moments after she called. In the meantime they searched her and took away her personal belongings including her wand. The officers outside were laughing and joking and drinking coffee as she was being patted down by a female officer in the interview room. Then she was walked to a holding cell next to prostitutes and petty thieves to wait for Alan to arrive. 

She could hear snippets of the duty officers conversations. 

"Did you see that hippy new-ager they brought in?" 

"Yes, strange one. She reckons she is some high-falluting research scientist but she walks around in those strange clothes and carries a wooden stick in her pocket." 

Hermione had not been sure how the evening would pan out, but being locked up in a muggle police cell had not been included in the scenarios she had imagined in the bath earlier. 

*~*~*~*~* 

"I'd like a moment alone with my client please" 

"Of course sir," they replied and withdrew. 

"Alan, what is going on? Are they going to charge me? What happened?" 

"Wooah, slow down Hermione." He put his hand on her shoulder and guided her gently into a chair before pulling the other chair out and sitting down. "It appears that someone who looks remarkably like you tried to kill a man by pushing him in front of a vehicle at 5.45 p.m this evening." 

"Oh Merlin!" 

"Yes, several witnesses saw it happen and they found your business card in his pocket." 

"Bugger." 

Alan continued, "They have already taken statements from several of the witnesses and at least one of them confirmed that the person pictured on your business card was the woman they had seen. They contact Biopo but you had already left for the evening. Biopo released your address to them." 

"Alan, it wasn't me. I was in my flat taking a bath at 5.45. You have to believe me, it wasn't me!" 

"Hermione, I'll do everything I can to help but you need to calm down." 

"Who was it?" 

"They don't know yet." 

"Have they arrested me?" she asked. 

"No, but it looks like they might." 

She didn't reply but instead crossed her arms on the table in front of her, dropped her head to her arms, and cried. 


	9. Chapter nine

Chapter nine  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


The door opened and one of the two police officers that had been questioning her walked into the cold grey room. Behind him was a very ordinary looking plain clothes policeman with a tight expression on his face. Alan stood up and reached to shake his hand.  
  
"James, good to see you," he said. The man's face relaxed a little on seeing Alan.  
  
"Its been a while since I saw you last Alan. Good to see you too."  
  
They both looked at Hermione who still had her head in her arms.  
  
"Hermione, this is Detective Inspector Edwards." 

She lifted her head up just enough to see a tall and broad sandy haired man standing next to Alan. 

"James, Miss Granger." 

"Pleased to meet you," she answered, dropping her head back on her arms but with her head turned so she could see the three men.  
  
Edwards smiled at Hermione and said, "I've heard a lot about you Miss Granger." He nodded to the Constable who was stood silently at the door. Alan thanked him and he left, closing the door behind him.  
  
Once the door had closed Hermione was somewhat surprised to see Edwards pull out a slim maple wand from his jacket pocket and seal the room. She sat up suddenly interested in this 'average joe.'  
  
"There," he said, "now we shouldn't have anyone interrupt us."  
  
She must have still looked somewhat surprised as Alan explained, "I didn't know that James had been assigned your case before he walked in and I could hardly introduce him as a wizard with a muggle Constable listening in."  
  
Hermione reassured him that she understood before she addressed Edwards.  
  
"Detective Inspector, I didn't realise that there were Wizards in the Cambridge Constabulary."  
  
"Oh there is at least one Ministry-placed Auror in every police force in Britain," he told her. "It helps keep an eye on what is going on with the Muggles."  
  
"Do the rest of the Constabulary know this?" she asked, momentarily fogetting her predicament.  
  
"Only the very senior officers," Edwards told her.  
  
"James, can you help us?" Alan asked interrupting their small talk. 

"Well I've managed to have Hermione's case assigned to me and I'll be speaking to the Ministry to see if they can get the case transferred from the Muggle Authorities to us at the Ministry." 

"How long will all this take?" she asked.  
  
"Well, normally you cannot be held for more than 24 hours without being charged or released," Alan started. "They haven't got enough evidence to hold you longer but a senior police officer or a magistrate court could authorise it."  
  
"That's the Muggle Authorities though," said Edwards. "Hopefully we can get something sorted out before then but it will take some time and everyone that could help at The Ministry has gone home now."  
  
"So you are saying I will have to stay here tonight?" Hermione groaned.  
  
"It looks that way," replied Alan. "Do you need me to fetch anything for you from home?"  
  
"That's ok, I can transfig..." she paused as she groped around in her robes. "Oh, they took my wand," she finished glumly. She looked hopefully at Edwards and said, "I don't suppose you could get it back..." but stopped as he shook his head regretfully.  
  
"Toothbrush? Hairbrush? Anything else?" Alan suggested, a little too brightly. 

Hermione reeled off a few things before clamping her hand over her mouth, "Severus. Oh how could I have forgotten? He will not be happy."  
  
Alan and Edwards looked somewhat non-plussed. 

"Snape?" enquired Alan.  
  
"Yes, we were supposed to meet this evening. He will either be very worried or very pissed off with me... possibly both," she trailed off.  
  
"I can send him an owl asking him to contact me," said Alan. "Don't worry, I'll explain to him that you were "indisposed" this evening."  
  
"Thank you, both of you," she said, looking at both men as they rose indicating the meeting was over.  
  
They both walked her back to the holding cell which did not look any more charming in the dimming light than it had earlier in the day. Edwards took her arm and pulled her closer to him as he whispered in her ear.  
  
"I'll have to bind you to the cell I'm afraid. Ministry regulations when a witch or wizard is held in Muggle custody." He fished out his wand making sure it was hidden from view between their bodies while he quickly muttered the binding spell. He looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sure this will get sorted out in no time. You picked a good chap to defend you." 

"Thanks," she said as he raised his hand in a half wave.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow," Edwards said to Alan on his way out. He locked the two of them in together.  
  
Hermione raised one eyebrow at Alan  
  
"You're staying in her with me??"  
  
"No, I'll call for someone when we're done talking."  
  
Alan told her that he was going to go back to her flat to pick up the things she needed. He asked for instructions to get past the wards but Hermione just told him to look under the flower pot next to her door for a key. He rolled his eyes and told her that she should know better than to be so lax about her security. 

"I'll owl Snape first and then I'll drop your things off at the front desk." Alan called for an officer to let him out of Hermione's cell.  
  
"Ok Alan, I'll see you in the morning. Thank you for everything," she said gratefully.  
  
Hermione sunk down on the cot. It had been a very long day.  
  


____________________

  


"Come in," said Dumbledore, who was wearing a long blue and white stripped nightshirt and long tasselled hat. He looked like a storybook version of Rip Van Winkle ready to settle down for a long nap.  
  
"Good Evening Mr Kingshott. How can I help you?" he asked the prefect standing in front of him. 

"Professor Dumbledore, Sir, this owl came for Professor Snape." 

Kingshott looked like he had more to say but Dumbledore dismissed him with a simple, "Thank you Robin, I'll make sure he gets it."  
  
Making sure the prefect had left Dumbledore untied the parchment from the owl's leg and gave him a half a ginger biscuit. He then turned the parchment over to look at the seal. Without opening it he walked over to the fireplace, threw some floo powder into it and called out, "Alan Prideaux's office."  
  
Alan stumbled out of the armchair he was sitting in and got smartly to his feet when he saw the Hogwart's Headmaster in his fireplace. "Professor Dumbledore, sir. I didn't expect a call from you!"  
  
"Sit down Alan, and please call me Albus. I need to talk to you about something."  
  
Alan sat back down and said, "What would you like to talk about Albus?"  
  
"Professor Snape isn't here so I received your owl. I haven't opened your letter but I thought you'd like to know."  
  
"Do you know when he is going to be back? I have an urgent message to pass onto him from a friend of his," said Alan.  
  
"Ah no I'm afraid I don't," replied Dumbledore. "Severus is missing." 

* * *

I have author alert now if you would like to be notified when I update.  


Thank you to everyone who has been following this and especially those who have taken the time to review. I read all my reviews and welcome them whether they are praise, constructive criticism or suggestions. I promise not to flame or retaliate if you have something less than glowing to say.  


As usual, thanks to my three betas for all their commas, encouragement and endless patience.  


I have another chapter to upload once I've gone over it again... perhaps later this week or over the weekend. 


	10. Chapter ten

Chapter ten  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


The next morning came far too early. As Hermione woke up she could tell from the light that it was just a little after dawn. Their was no sound of movement from the adjoining cells so she lay quietly thinking of the day before. She still didn't quite believe all that had happened to her. She got up, wanting to know the time and walked over to the door, her muscles reminding her that she had slept on a hard cot. '5.45 a.m., Alan won't be here for another two hours,' she thought to herself. She could feel a slight buzz from the cell walls reminding her that she had not only been physically, but also magically locked in the dank room. She lay back down on her lumpy cot and wondered whether Severus was awake and whether he had got Alan's owl.  
  
The sound of a key in the lock jolted her awake again. Alan and Edwards were both entering the room. Alan had brought her some fresh clothes and more toiletries. She got up slowly to greet them.  
  
"Can I shower and change please?" she asked, feeling somewhat humbled for having to ask.  
  
Edwards shook his head, "Not yet, we have a lot to sort out first. Let's go back to the conference room so we can talk freely." He muttered a quick release from the binding spell he had used the night before and then the three of them walked back to the conference room.  
  
Once inside the room Edwards once again sealed the room before sitting down opposite Hermione and Alan. He cleared his throat and explained that he was able to sort out the transfer of her case and that now it would be covered by him as an auror.  
  
"What exactly does that mean to me?" she asked.  
  
Alan replied, "It means that you will be able to leave the police station for a start. If we can find someone who is willing to be responsible for you that is."  
  
Hermione chewed on her lip. "I don't know who to suggest... perhaps my boss?"  
  
"No that wouldn't do," said Alan. "Not unless you want him to accompany you home."  
  
"What?!?"  
  
"We don't use bail in the wizard world," Edwards said "If you are released into someone else's custody we bind you to that person much like I bound you to the cell last night. If you and Alan can suggest someone suitable and the Ministry agrees to release you then you will have no choice but to stay within a couple hundred yards from that person at all times."  
  
"Hey I thought of someone," Alan interjected. "How about Dumbledore? I'm sure the Ministry would consider him a responsible party."  
  
"Let's go to my office to check with the Ministry and then we can contact Dumbledore to see if he would be willing to be your custodian."  
  
They walked together to Edward's office. Alan asked him, "James, how did you manage to convince the Constabulary to let you have a fireplace?"  
  
"I didn't."  
  
Alan looked questioningly at him.  
  
"It looks like a bookshelf to muggles."  
  
Hermione asked Alan whether he had managed to reach Severus last night while Edwards was getting authorisation for Dumbledore to be her custodian. He told her he hadn't wanted to worry her but it appeared that Severus was missing.  
  
Edwards broke into their conversation. "The Ministry ok'd Dumbledore, let's contact him and see if he'd be willing to act as your custodian."  
  
Alan stood up and walked over to the "bookshelves" threw some floo powder into the fire and said 'Albus Dumbledore'. Albus's head appeared in the fireplace.  
  
Dumbledore greeted Alan, "Good morning Alan," and then he saw a very subdued Hermione sitting to one side of him.  
  
"Hermione, thank goodness, have you seen Severus this morning?"  
  
"No I haven't. Albus, I have a very big favour to ask of you."  
  
She was about to ask him if he would be her custodian when he interrupted her and told her that Severus had been missing since yesterday lunchtime.  
  
"He has missed several of his classes which is not like him at all. No-one seems to know where he is and the last time he was seen was by some Hogsmeade locals who were glared or sneered at by him near the Three Brooksticks. Apparently he was in an even worse mood than usual."  
  
Hermione winced. She was pretty sure that she was the reason for his bad mood.  
  
Edwards walked around the desk and said, "mind if I interrupt? Professor Dumbledore, I'm James Edwards, I'm an Auror for the Ministry. I don't know if you remember me?"  
  
Albus smiled at him. "Yes James, aren't you Duncan's younger brother?"  
  
Edwards nodded. "Yes Sir."  
  
"Ravenclaw if I remember rightly."   
  
"Correct," replied Edwards. "We need to ask you an important question Sir."  
  
"Go ahead," said Albus, "and please call me Albus."  
  
"Hermione is in my custody Albus. We are looking for a custodian for her so that she can be released from Auror custody. Would you be willing to act as custodian until the investigation is completed?"  
  
Dumbledore readily agreed and he flood through to the Police Station to be bound to his new charge.   
  
Dumbledore and Hermione agreed to return to her flat so that she might shower and change and so they could try and track down the missing potions master. Despite the cleansing charms she performed she still felt like she needed a good hot shower to get rid of the grime from the police cell. Cleansing charms were fine in the field but nothing compared to a steamy shower when you really wanted to get clean.  
  
____________________  
  
She came out of the bathroom wearing a pair of jeans and a comfy looking faded tshirt. Albus put down the newspaper he was reading, took off his glasses and looked at her.  
  
"That looks a lot better. Now you look like the Miss Granger I know."  
  
"I certainly feel better."  
  
"We should get on with trying to sort this little muddle out," Albus said.  
  
Hermione laughed to herself. Severus was missing who knows where and she was suspected of attempted murder and he called it a 'little muddle?'   
  
"While you were showering I tried a some location spells. I was unable to find him. I'm hoping perhaps you might have more luck than me and perhaps track him down."  
  
"What makes you think that I could come up with something when such a powerful wizard as Albus Dumbledore couldn't?"  
  
"You underestimate yourself Hermione. Have you forgotten your ingenious golden sickle?" 

______________________ 

Hermione went and got the GPS locator and her A-Z map of Cambridge and sat down at the kitchen table to try and find Severus. Albus leaned over her shoulder.  
  
"Amazing things the muggles come up with," he commented. "Would you mind if I got a little something to eat while you are working with that? I was about to have breakfast when you and Alan called this morning."  
  
"No, not at all, why don't you get us both something? I'm famished."   
  
"What is this Hermione?" he asked prodding at leftovers of a sticky toffee pudding on a shelf in her fridge.   
  
"Try it," she replied.   
  
"Hmm, oohhh, this is good!" he said between mouthfuls "We must have this at Hogwarts, what is it called?"  
  
She told him and he asked a few more questions about it before she realised that she had forgotten a pen and some paper. When she came back into the room and sat down she found Albus surrounded by various types of icecream and all sorts of sauces. Some of them she was sure she had never seen before.  
  
"I think I like this one best!" he said gesticulating with his spoon towards a lemon one with bits of lemon sherbets in it. "This one is very good too though," he said waving at the chocolate chip cookie dough icecream. He was obviously in his element trying all the different desserts that he had found in her flat.  
  
"I didn't much care for this icecream," he said pointing to an ancient frozen tub of gravy left over from a Christmas or two ago with a couple of spoonsfuls eaten out of it.   
  
Hermione grabbed it and threw it in the bin. "That's because it was gravy. Very old gravy," she said.  
  
"Gravy? Muggles eat gravy frozen?" he asked.  
  
"Hmm," said Hermione with her head bent over her map and a bowl of cereal beside her. She was absorbed in the book in front of her.  
  
"I think I've found him," she said cautiously. "It looks like he is at Addenbrookes."  
  
"Addenbrookes? Is that near here?"  
  
"Its the local muggle hospital."  
  
They sat in silence for a moment before she said, "I don't know why he is there considering his opinion of muggle medicine."  
  
Albus agreed.  
  


* * *

Author alert informs you automatically of new chapters. If you'd like to enable author alert for me it is in the same pulldown menu that you use to write a review.

Sticky Toffee Pudding does exist and is heavenly. There are lots of recipes for it on the web, if you'd like to make it try a search in google.

Thank you for continuing to read, I hope you are enjoying this as much as me.

* * *


	11. Chapter eleven

Chapter eleven  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


"We can't apperate, the binding spell won't allow it," Albus told her. 

"It'll take forever to get a taxi, why don't we just cycle?" She suggested. 

"I haven't been on a bicycle for over a hundred years Hermione." 

"It's like riding a broom, one never forgets. Besides-- this is Cambridge, everyone cycles here." 

Dumbledore looked unconvinced. "I can't cycle in my robes." 

"I don't see why not, plenty of students and Professors from the colleges do. Graduate robes aren't so different from wizarding ones." 

He had run out of excuses, and recognising an immovable object in the form of a determined Hermione, he sighed and tied his beard into a knot. 

"The last thing I want to do is garrot myself by getting my beard stuck in a bicycle wheel," he muttered to himself. 

"What was that?" she called ahead of him. 

"Nothing," he replied as he fixed a purple and lime cycle helmet adorned with stars and planets on his head and struggled onto the bike seat. 

Hermione turned around to check if he was ready to go. She wished that Colin and his infernal camera were here to record what was sure to be an entertaining event. 

"Follow me and do what I do." 

They got off to an extremely wobbly start. Albus was having a hard time steering while trying to keep his flapping robes out of the spokes and remembering to brake. To his credit he did seem to be enjoying the experience, despite almost being flattened several times when he wobbled into the middle of the road. By the time they got to the hospital Hermione was feeling rather frazzled and ready to appropriate a hospital bed for a lie down, but Albus bustled her along to the main desk so that they could find out where Severus had got to. 

The front desk had no record of a 'Severus Snape' so Albus started to describe him 

"Tall, slim, dark black hair, black eyes, clothes like mine." 

Hermione interjected, "Incredibly bad tempered, scowls and sneers at everyone. Has probably reduced a few student nurses to tears by now." 

The front desk still could not help them, so they walked to one side and Hermione told Albus that she could try the sickle charm again. 

"It should be accurate within 10 metres or so. If he still has it on him that should get us close enough to know where to look." 

_________________________________ 

  
It had been quite a feat to create the sickle charm. She was capable of making a portkey, the magic required took some preparation initially and then a considerable amount of concentration while performing the spell, but it was well within her abilities. Researching what was needed for the GPS locator and transmitter had been a little more complicated. After some time spent on her parent's computer looking for an easy way to build one, she decided to instead buy a child tracking device and reverse engineer it to find out how it worked and then reuse some of the components. She had had to cobble together the handheld that she now carried to track Severus because she wasn't able to find exactly what she needed. That hadn't been too bad once she asked Ron for help and Arthur pitched in his knowledge on the subject. 

What she hadn't taken account of when she had created Severus' Christmas gift was a small matter of elevation. While some GPS devices could report their elevation, the one she had bought and re-engineered didn't have that feature. It hadn't seemed a big problem at the time, mostly she just needed to know his general location so she could apparate and join him. It became apparent that it would have been a useful thing, as Hermione and Albus worked their way through corridors, along halls and up and down steps. They could track his device within 10 feet or so but it didn't tell them what floor he was on, and they had narrowed his location down to a building with at least five levels. 

At first they had tried taking a lift but the signal from the base station faded as soon as the heavy metal doors closed. Besides, few people used the stairs and the two of them dressed in their robes attracted less attention away from the heavily used lifts and main corridors. 

After searching the first three levels and thankfully not finding him in either the surgical unit, or the high dependancy unit they climbed another flight of stairs to A4, Neurology. 

"Head injuries here," Hermione whispered to Albus. It was obvious from the lack of small talk that both of them were quite worried about Severus. 

"He has survived many things that lesser people wouldn't my dear." 

Hermione stuck her head around the main ward doors. There were no nursing staff in view so the two of them made their way towards the main nursing station, looking into rooms and side wards as they went. 

They found a rather bruised Severus through the window of a small private room a fair distance from the nurses station. He appeared to be either asleep or unconcious and Hermione was just opening the door to his room when a large and domineering looking woman in a charge nurse uniform accosted them. 

"Excuse me, who are you?" She looked them up and down as if she was deciding whether melons in the grocers were ripe enough for purchase. Fortunately Albus remained as always, calm and unflappable. Hermione thought back over her time at school and during the war and realised that it didn't matter who Albus met or what situation confronted them, she had never seen him perturbed or alarmed. Even when he was in the company of Voldemort the only emotion she saw from Albus was pity due to what a little ambition and self-importance had done to Tom Riddle. She turned her concentration to Albus and the Sister in front of her. 

"Oh yes, My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am Mr Snape's employer." 

She seemed skeptical so he pulled out small buff coloured business card with the inscription 'Hogwarts Independant School for Young Men and Women.' 

"I'm the Headmaster and he is the Head of Science." 

"And you are?" she turned her attention towards Hermione who managed to spit out 

"I'm his, uh, girlfriend?" 

She still didn't look like she approved of the two of them, and gave Hermione another once over before grudingly saying 

"Go on then, no funny business mind."  



	12. Chapter twelve

Chapter twelve  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


Albus entered the room first, but Hermione hung back. One the one hand she was worried for Severus, and on the other embarressed at the memory of the last time she had seen him. 

Dumbledore looked around to see if the overbearing battleaxe had followed them in, and when he saw that she had gone, he pulled his wand out of his robes. 

"I'm going to try and revive him my dear," he said to Hermione as she joined him beside Severus' hospital bed. 

Severus opened his eyes and winced. 

"I was wondering when you might show up." He said to Dumbledore. 

"We've all been very worried about you dear boy. We've had a hard time tracking you down. Your Miss Granger found you in the end." 

Severus winced again. He had not looked at Hermione since they had entered the room and she wasn't sure whether his reaction was because of pain or her name being mentioned. 

"Can you remember anything about what happened or where you have been since leaving the Three Broomsticks on Monday lunchtime Severus?" 

Snape tried to sit up but his right wrist was in a sling and it was obviously painful to move unless he used his good arm to cradle his ribcage. Albus helped him sit up and Snape started to explain. 

"I was having lunch with a friend of uh, that is, an acquaintance of mine at the Three Broomsticks and when I was finished I decided to walk back to Hogwarts." 

Albus replied that a few Hogsmeade residents had seen him leaving the pub, what he didn't tell him was they had also said that he was in a fouler mood than usual and no-one was willing to walk the same way as him due to the threatening glares Severus had given them. 

"Ron Weasley insisted on following me for some reason. I told him to go away..." 

Hermione muttered something that sounded suspiciously like "'piss off' more likely" 

Severus continued without acknowledging her comment "...but, like the annoying tosser he has always been, he decided to continue following me. I carried on up towards Hogwarts and tried to ignore him." 

He tried to shift position and grimaced again. 

"Would you like me to get you something for the pain?" Hermione asked. 

Severus nodded still without looking at her. 

"I'll go find a nurse then," she said in a somewhat strangled voice and abruptly left the room. 

Albus looked sympathetically towards Severus, "I'd better not heal anything just yet, the hospital staff could get suspicious if you heal broken bones overnight". 

Severus agreed. 

"Did something happen between you and Hermione?" he enquired gently. 

"You know full well it did." said Severus shortly. Obviously pain wasn't improving his demeanor. 

He started talking again, it seemed that he was not really addressing Albus, but the world in general. 

"It was not enough that I prostrated myself in front of that meglomanic Voldemort for much of my adult life, one screw-up was obviously not enough for me. No, I have to balls up the one fucking bright spark that I have in life. My one wonderful escape from that hormonally filled teenage   
hellhole. The one place -- no person -- that makes," he corrected himself, "made life fun." 

Albus opened his mouth to counsel the man in front of him when the charge nurse that had accosted them earlier bustled into the room full of her own importance followed by Hermione. She ordered Albus to move out of the way so she could see to her patient and grabbed Severus' wrist. 

"Mr Snape, I need to run some more tests." 

Severus didn't argue, but glared at her. 

"Touch your finger to your nose please." 

He rolled his eyes,"I'm not a complete idiot you know." 

"We went through this before Mr Snape. You've had a bad concusion and we need to do a number of tests to make sure everything is functioning correctly." 

He gave a long suffering sigh and very deliberately touched his nose. 

"Thank you. Now please touch your finger to your elbow." 

Severus looked mutinous. 

Albus said "Severus, please cooperate, I'm sure Nurse White has other patients to see to." 

Severus once again slowly, and pointedly touched his finger to his elbow. 

"Very good," she said, making notes on his chart that she had taken from the end of his bed. "Now Mr Snape, can you remember anything that has happened since your little accident with the car?" 

"I remember what a old dragon you are and how you have treated me like a small child since I have got here," he said, "I remember how this hospital saw fit to move me to three different wards in the space of one day. I remember how you put me next to a man who insisted on bombarding me day and night with gruesome details of all the surguries he has ever had." 

Severus was about out of the little patience and self control he possessed. 

Albus smiled, "No problems with his memory, Sister." 

A tight smile registered on her face as she made some notes. Then without any more conversation she took his pulse and blood pressure, then the colour of his fingers on his injured arm before leaving the room without a backward glance. 

"Thank God." 

Albus paused before asking Severus to tell him more about what had happened after he left the pub. 

"As I left the outskirts of Hogsmeade I looked around to see if that Weasley numbskull was still behind me. My hangover had gone, but my headache was still slowing me down and the last thing I needed was his view of the world imposed on my ruminations. As I did he hit me over the head with some infernal blunt instrument." 

"Ron?" 

"That is what I said Albus." 

"What happened next?" Hermione said quietly from the corner of the room. 

"When I woke up Miss Granger was sitting in front of me. My wand was gone and I couldn't move. She healed whatever the cosh had done to my head and then cast imperio on me. Everything is a little hazy from then on but I do remember her putting something in my pocket and apparating us to a busy street before telling me to argue with her. The last thing I remember is falling into the street. 

"I need to talk with Mr Weasley," Albus said as he walked towards the door, pulling what looked like a miniature fireplace from a fold in his robes. "I'll be back shortly." and he opened the door and stepped outside. 

As the door shut Severus turned and looked at Hermione for the first time since they had found him. 

"Girlfriend?" 


	13. Chapter thirteen

Chapter thirteen  
By Scarlet  
rohansmummy@yahoo.com

  


"Let me get this straight," she said, "You are kidnapped, knocked unconcious, I put you under one of the three unforgivables, pushed you in front of a moving car --nearly killing you --and you end up unconcious for the second time in one day, only this time in a muggle hospital with a head injury, broken wrist and goodness knows what else and all you can say is 'girlfriend'?" 

"I knew it wasn't you" he said dismissively. She looked at him clearly questioning his statement. 

"Your eyes weren't right." he said as a reply, "they are now though." he said softly. 

She shook her head and laughed at him. 

"I've missed you." 

"I've been sort of busy," he replied. 

They were interrupted by Dumbledore carrying a brown plastic tea tray of soggy sandwiches with some limp lettuce peeking out between two slightly curled pieces of bread. The tray also held three cups of tea which were full and brimming over the sides as he used a shoulder to open the door. 

"I talked to Mr Weasley," he said, offering sandwiches to them, "it appears he has several alibis. He finished eating lunch in front of the whole pub and then Marian accompanied him back to the Ministry, where he spent the majority of the afternoon and evening in a long dull meeting. I think we can safely say that it wasn't him who kidnapped you." 

Hermione leaned over and gingerly picked up a cup of tea. It was hot and wet, but there wasn't much else to recommend the insipid brew. She added some sugar (much to Severus' apparent disgust) and stirred a few times before taking another sip. Albus picked that moment to once again try to foist a plate of tired looking sandwiches on her and she had to gulp suddenly in order to refuse. 

"That's ok Albus I've had hospital food before." She looked a little nauseated at the memory before adding, "I know you never thought I'd say this, but they could do with some house elves!" 

Severus broke in, "Sorry to interrupt this little tête à tête but tell me, who is teaching my classes Albus?" 

"I'm sorry?" 

"My potions class, which of my esteemed colleagues is loose in my classroom as we speak?" 

"Severus, not to worry, it is all under control." 

Severus' reply wasn't very clear but the meaning he imparted left nothing to the imagination. Hermione could tell exactly what he thought about Albus having it 'under control'. There was silence for a moment, each considering what was happening at that precise moment in the dungeons. 

"Why aren't you teaching my class?" 

"I'm sort of tied up with something right now." he replied vaguely. 

Severus however had already switched his attention to Hermione 

"And why aren't you at work? Its the middle of the week. You haven't taken a day off on my account." It sounded more like an order than a question. 

Hermione gave a nervous laugh, "I'm sort of tied up with something too."   
She wasn't meeting his eyes. 

"Spit it out." 

She looked at him in that transparently guilty Gryffindor way that he was so familiar with 

"Well, I, um.." she looked to Albus for help. 

"Hermione is in my custody Severus." 

He groaned and lay back into his pillow. 

______________________ 

Albus and Hermione walked back to where they had left the bicycles. 

"Where now?" 

"Your flat I think. I need to speak to Alan, and you still haven't eaten anything substantial." 

The ride home was less eventful. She noticed that Albus did not sway in front of any juggernauts or oncoming vehicles, and seemed to have got the knack of cycling. Hermione had been cooped up in a cell at the police   
station for a considerable amount of time but she had still not enjoyed the ride up to the Hospital because she was sure that at any minute Albus was going to meet a sticky end. Now he seemed to have the bike under control, and she could relax and enjoy the excercise and fresh air. Most people saw bike riding in Cambridge as a way to get from A to B, prefering to bike ride for enjoyment in a rather more pastoral setting. Hermione loved the bustle of the city, there was so much to look at and bike riding gave her a chance to look in shop windows and look at the people walking past. 

They arrived back at her flat, parked the bikes down the side of the house in the lean-to, and climbed the stone steps to the front door. Hermione reached into her backpack to retrieve her keys and open the heavy blue Victorian front door. She looked through the mail on the shelf over the radiator in the hallway and found some bills and an Eiffel Tower at night postcard from her parents with her mother's neat handwriting on it. She started up the flight of stairs to her flat while reading. 

"Paris is lovely, Daddy and I are sitting on the steps below the Basilique du Sacré Coeur while I write this. We even went on the carousel! We're planning to visit some of the art museums tomorrow. Hope you've had a quiet few days, you work so hard darling." 

She was opening her gas bill when she reached her door and so waved her hand in the general direction of it to make it open. 

Albus commented on the lack of wards on her door as they entered the flat, but she waved his concerns away. 

"There are many who have reason to be jealous of you my dear, and some who would take that one step further that would wish to hurt you." 

She looked doubtful, "I'm no one special Albus, plain brown uncontrollable hair, geeky job, not much to look at." 

"Think about the situation you are in. Someone has tried to implicate you in a murder you didn't do." 

"How do you know I didn't do it?" she asked. 

"Would I have left you alone with Severus if I felt that you were any risk to him?" 

He patted her on the shoulder, "Don't worry, we will sort this all out but you should consider warding your home." 

She nodded at him, it was hard to go against something that Albus had prescribed. His commands were usually presented as a gentle suggestion, but if one ignored his suggestions they had a way of eating away at you until you did what he had asked. Over the years she had learned that the easiest course of action was usually to do it in the beginning. 

Albus directed her towards the kitchen and told her to find something hearty and filling to eat while he took care of some business. 

"I need to contact Minerva, I'm afraid Hogwarts can't wait much longer." 

"I'm sorry Albus." 

"Not your fault dear child. I also need to contact Alan, he will want to know that we've found Severus. May I borrow your fireplace please?" 

She nodded and made her way into the kitchen as directed. 

__________ 

Albus walked into the kitchen. Hermione was sat at the table with an empty bowl next to her. She guestured him towards the cooker and a pot of something bubbling on top of it. He ladled out what appeared to be a soup of some type and joined her at the table. She was reading a copy of the Daily Prophet and as he sat down she turned the page and a grim look came over her face. 

"Hermione?" Albus enquired. 

She passed the paper across the table to him open at the page she was reading. There in full colour was a picture of her and Severus outside the Three Broomsticks with the caption "Lovers tiff turns nasty!" 


	14. Chapter fourteen

Friday morning dawned. It felt very strange to be back at Hogwarts, especially in Albus' guest room. You would think that he would decorate in the bold and lurid style that he favoured for his clothing, but in fact it was understated and tasteful. It reminded her of the classic rooms she used to see while flicking through her mother's Ideal Home magazines. It was certainly much nicer than the accommodations that the police had provided, but it was hard to relax somewhere that didn't really feel like home. She grabbed some clothes and her toothbrush and lazily sloped into the bathroom. She had showered and dressed and was peering in the mirror at the dark circles under her eyes trying to decide whether to glamour them away or not when she heard Albus call her name.

"Hermione, we have to leave for The Ministry shortly, are you ready?" he called. She quickly tidied her things and then came out into the main room. She didn't feel ready for the day ahead, but Albus looked her over, nodded and said "come on then my dear, let's get this over with."

Together they walked into his office and down the many shifting staircases and corridors through the castle to the front door. Hermione dragged behind, as if delaying the inevitable would make it all go away. She gave herself a mental shake. She had never been one to bury her head in the sand. Yes, sometimes she was cautious, but nobody had ever accused Hermione of being cowardly.

There was a carriage waiting at the front door to take them to Hogsmeade train station, from there they would catch the 8.37 train to King's Cross where Alan would meet them. Several of the Hogwarts professors were standing at the door with bright smiles on their faces, smiles that didn't quite reach their eyes.

"Hermione, you are going to be just fine!" "Alan is a fine lawyer, he'll have this cleared up in no time, just you see" "Hope it doesn't take too long, we'll see you back here at supper."

She nodded and smiled back at them and Albus guided her into the carriage and they sat in silence as it made its way over the uneven ground towards Hogsmeade. The train was already waiting for them when they arrived and so she had no further excuse to delay the inevitable. They found a place to sit and Albus hunkered down and snoozed off as the train started to wind its way out of the station and through the dreary and wet Scottish countryside. Normally she loved seeing the rolling green hills and rocky crags with streams spilling through the clefts in the rock and down the valleys towards icy blue lakes. Today however the weather matched her mood and she didn't feel like watching the scenery stream past. With no one to talk to she peered at her feet and settled into a deep retrospection as they got closer to London. Albus meanwhile slept on beside her, his head lulling to one side the silence punctuated only by the sound of the wheels on the tracks and the occasional gentle snore.

Albus started to stir as they slowed down for the approach into King's Cross. They had been going through London suburbs for a while, the weather hadn't improved much over Scotland as they travelled down the country but that suited Hermione just fine. It would have been worse facing this day if everything had been sunny and bright and the parks they went past full of happy people throwing frisbees. She saw Alan standing on the platform, his face was set in a grim expression, and it didn't do anything to encourage her.

The journey to The Ministry was thankfully short and uneventful. Alan and Albus talked quietly together as they walked into the lobby which left Hermione free to continue thinking back on everything. She hoped that she had made the right decision not to let her parents know about all that had happened. If all went well they might never need to know. If not, well, it wouldn't be her job to explain the whole mess to them, she would have quite different things to worry about. She looked up just in time to see Severus being led towards a lift by a Ministry employee. He didn't see her until the lift doors started to close. His face softened just slightly, certainly not enough to be called a smile, probably not even enough for most people to notice but enough to reassure her. Until that point in time she hadn't decided whether she wanted him to be there or not, but once she saw him her shoulders relaxed and she felt a little braver.

Alan steered them into a lift and pressed a button marked 'Level 2, Department of Magical Law Enforcement'. A directory on the wall of the lift shifted slightly and refocused to let them know that the floor that Alan selected accommodated offices including the Auror Headquarters and the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office as well as the Wizengamot chambers. Alan gave their names to a small stern witch wearing business robes and sat behind a desk. She waved them towards a massive pair of heavily carved oak doors which swung open as they approached them revealing the large panelled room with a high vaulted ceiling and fifty witches and wizards all wearing deep plum robes.

--o--

A/N I found this story which I abandoned a long while ago and decided that I might have another try at finishing it. My notes are long lost so I am starting again. This chapter has not been beta'd so I hope you will forgive any grievous errors or clichés.


	15. Chapter fifteen

Hermione had stopped dead in the room where the witch sat behind her desk. She had returned to shuffling papers and organizing her desk and was ignoring Hermione. Albus and Alan had continued on into the Wizengamot Chambers without noticing that she was not with them. As she stood in the ante-chamber Hermione wavered between feeling first numb and in shock that she was here in the first place and then feeling completely terrified and started succumbing to complete panic. She was a rule follower dammit, how could she be facing charges? Now that Azkaban was destroyed she had no idea what happened to witches that were convicted of attempted murder but she had a gut-wrenching feeling that later that day she might have to find out. Perhaps it would be worse than Azkaban. Her stomach turned as she realized that she would loose her job and would no longer be welcome as a researcher in any magical field. Being fired and having ones wand snapped was worse than Azkaban, she was pretty sure of that. Hermione swayed and grabbed hold of the administrator's desk to steady herself. The small witch looked up and realized that she was still standing there.

"You! What are you doing here?! You can't be in here alone! Where is your responsible party?" she screamed at Hermione, obviously scared of her.

Hermione shrank back and tripped over the filing cabinet next to the desk and fell backwards towards the floor. As she did she felt a strange tugging feeling deep in her stomach as if she had been lassoed by an invisible cowboy and she flopped forward on her face giving herself a large angry carpet burn on her chin and causing her hair to fall over her face and in her mouth. She was struggling to sit up and spit the hair from her mouth when Albus and Alan walked in and helped her up. They guided her towards the carved oak doors as Alan reminded her that she had to stay near Albus at all times.

As she walked into the dark paneled chambers it suddenly got quiet and all the many faces of the purple-robed Wizengamot and the gawking public turned to look at her. She turned in Alan's grasp to look for Severus, he was the only one not looking expectantly at the disheveled woman that was capturing everyone's attention. Her heart felt very heavy indeed, not only was she at risk of loosing her work but also this may be the last time she would see her… well whatever he was or might have been. The quiet quickly dissolved as the crowd started talking loudly to one another, no doubt discussing whether they thought that she was guilty and what would become of her. It appeared that at least half of the crowd were former Hogwartians and wanted to clap her on the back for trying to dispose of Snape, the other half looked like they were looking forward to a conviction. No one seemed to be actually hoping that she was innocent until she heard a familiar 'woo hoo, Hermione!' from the back of the crowded public gallery near the exit and saw Molly Weasley waving an umbrella in her direction surrounded by a sea of red hair. They shouted encouragement as the Wizengamot and then the public took their seats. Hermione expected Dumbledore to take his place as head warlock but when she asked him he told her

"I cannot be both on the Wizengamot and speak for you."

Hermione thought that perhaps she would be better off with him being on the council instead and being able to vote, but she just nodded.

The Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement passed a tall carved oak staff to the Minister of Magic who attempted to quiet the crowd by banging it several times on the ground.

"Let's get started, please be quiet everyone or you will have to leave."

He spent a fair amount of time telling the court and Hermione that she was there because witnesses saw her push Severus Snape in front of a moving car. That they had reason to believe that she intended to kill him and that she used an unforgivable to help her do so. He believed that the Wizengamot would agree that such a person should be punished quite severely.

"Do I get to defend myself at all?" she asked.

"yes, yes, we'll get to that eventually" he said and then added "although I'm not sure what you could say that would make anyone change their mind."

She spent what seemed like many hours answering every question under the sun -- some of which seemed completely irrelevant like "do you like salami?" Things were not going her way. Alan tried his best but the council had many witnesses and none of them were helping her case. Marian and her other colleagues reluctantly admitted that they had not seen Hermione at work that afternoon and then patrons of the Three Broomsticks testified that she and Severus Snape had been seen arguing at the pub. The Minister of Magic enlarged a photo of the scene from the newspaper so everyone in the court could see. Draco Malfoy smirked his way over to the stand and happily told everyone that he had indeed seen Ms Granger shove Severus Snape in front of a car and would have apparated him to St Mungo's if it hadn't been for the large number of muggles standing gawking. He had tried to grab her as she ran from the scene and had a piece torn from her clothing in a muggle ziplock bag that had ripped as she tried to escape. The Head of Magical Law Enforcement confirmed to the court that the fabric sample did indeed belong to the accused.

Finally the Minister called Severus to the stand. They asked him to describe what had happened to him.

"After leaving the pub I was hit over the head by someone who appeared to be Ronald Weasley" he started

"A known friend of the accused" the Senior Undersecretary said to one of the interrogators

"I wasn't even there!" yelled Ron

"It wasn't Ron!" said Marion, "he was in the pub with me"

"I said 'appeared to be' " Snape said, drowned out as the crowd started arguing among themselves.

"THEN" said Severus loudly "I woke up to find someone that looked like Ms Granger (but who obviously wasn't) with my wand. I was healed and then had imperio cast on me. The rest is a bit of a blur."

One of the interrogators, Dalia Fillywig called out from the wizengamot gallery "Why do you think it wasn't Ms Granger?"

Severus looked at Hermione for a moment before answering, the crowd was surprised to see a smile cross his face before he turned back to Ms Fillywig.

"I'll admit it looked like her but the smell wasn't right. It was a polyjuice job, I'd know that smell anywhere" he replied.

"he's lying, everyone knows they are lovers!" yelled someone from the public gallery.

"No we are not!" Hermione shouted hotly back.

"quiet please Hermione" Alan cautioned her.

The Head Warlock stood up and announced that the session was ended for the day. They would decide what the punishment was going to be tomorrow morning at 9 am sharp.

Alan stood up and gathered his things.

"That's it? They have decided I'm guilty despite what Severus said?"

"We don't know that yet…" said Alan "go back to Hogwarts and try and sleep, I'll see you in the morning."

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this is raw and unedited. Sorry it isn't up to standard but I just wanted to finish what I started. I hope you enjoy it. You can thank Paddiew for the kick in the pants (: One more chaplet I think left to go.


	16. Chapter sixteen

Hermione had trouble sleeping in Albus' guest room that night. No matter which way she turned there seemed to be a lump poking her in the back or a crick in her neck. Even her favourite pillow from home felt like it had been filled with some of Hagris' rock buns. Finally just before sunrise she admitted defeat and got out of bed. The stone floors were cold on her feet and she didn't have any slippers with her so she pulled on a pair of red knee socks and the white and pink stripe Marks and Spencer robe her parents had bought for last Christmas. The binding spell wouldn't let her go far but perhaps she could stand in the hallway outside of Albus' office and watch the sunrise.

The sunrise over the lake that morning was as beautiful as ever, wisps of fog hugged the tops of the mountains and were tinged pink by the rising sun. The torrential rain from the previous day was not in attendance but even with such an impressive sight she could not help but think that by tomorrow's sunrise everything could be profoundly different. She could very easily loose everything that was important to her in one fell swoop. She stroked her chin where it felt tender from the carpet burn she had given herself and it reminded her that her empty belly would have to wait until Albus was ready to accompany her to breakfast. Just as she thought that her stomach decided to make its feelings known with a very audible growl. Hermione flushed red and spun around to see if anyone had heard her. She was surprised to see Severus standing behind her half hidden by a column. He tried to hide his embarrassment and awkwardness at being caught by settling into his customary scowl, when that didn't work on her he decided instead to make a caustic comment about her fashion sense.

"Interesting choice of outfit," he said "however, it might not impress the Wizengamot."

"I'm not sure if we are meant to be talking, are we?" she replied.

He shrugged, wordlessly conveying that he didn't really care.

"Ahh Ms Granger, Severus there you both are, are you ready for breakfast?" said Albus brightly.

Once again she flushed and then gestured to her nightclothes

"I think I should change first!"

After breakfast they got ready to leave for London. Hermione grimaced at the dark robes with plum coloured Pictish embroidery that Minerva McGonagall had laid out with a note

"I think that you should wear these today, they are very elegant and understated."

When they got down to the main doors Hermione saw Severus standing there waiting for them. She raised one eyebrow at him in a very Snape-like fashion.

"I decided to travel with you today."

Hermione couldn't decide whether this reassured her or whether it made things more difficult to have him there.

As the train wound its way through the lake and valleys of Scotland and then over the windswept moors and to London. Albus rolled up his hat and used his wand to transfigure it into a blue pillow with pictures of lemon sherbets on it and then fell asleep snoring softly. The two other occupants of the compartment sat in silence. After what seemed like hours Hermione cleared her throat and tried to think of something she could say to Severus but before she could get the words out he stopped her with his hand and gestured that they should leave the compartment. He closed the door behind them and before she could start trying again he started to speak.

"It doesn't matter to me what happens today…"

Hermione gawked at him.

"Well it certainly matters to me!"

"No, uh…GAH!"

He hit his forehead with his hand and turned to go back into the compartment. Hermione stopped him with her hand

"I'm sorry I interrupted, please go on."

He paused for some time before starting again.

"Of course it matters, but it doesn't really matter because, well, uh…Dammit…"

"Severus," she started "I don't know what the outcome of today will be, but I hope we will still be friends no matter what happens."

He looked very relieved and managed a discrete nod. She would have liked to have offered him more, to tell him how much she loved him but with the proceedings hanging over her she had nothing else to give.

London arrived all too soon with its victorian houses, terraces, football fields and gas works. They were pulling into King's Cross and so she took a deep breath, smoothed down her hair and robes and started to get up, as she did the train lurched and she was propelled forward towards her two companions. Four arms reached out and caught her as she fell.

"We have you my dear" said Albus, a gentle smile on his face.

They had her in more than one way. What would she do without such friends she wondered.

It was a somber trip across London to the Ministry. They had arrived during the morning rush hour and there were business men in long dark coats with their briefcases, students with backpacks and ipods talking to their friends and sharing music, nurses going to work and every manner of shop worker on the tube. Severus managed to procure them some seats despite the crush, probably with his sheer will and a few well placed glares.

At Leicester Square they had to change trains, The Underground was packed and Severus propelled them efficiently through the crowds to the Northern line platform. Just two more stops and they would be in Whitehall and entering the Ministry of Magic. Hermione's breakfast threatened to reappear at the thought. She swallowed hard and pulled her coat around her and looked around at the people in the tube station to take her mind off what was ahead. There were some American tourists, easily spotted with their baseball caps, cameras and running shoes, some school children in uniform, a young man with short spiky pink hair but mostly it was people on their way to work, winter coats over suits and pencil skirts.

Predictably there was nowhere to sit on this train. The businessmen had their heads bowed and no one wanted to take their eyes off the contents of their newspapers to talk to a tall bad-tempered gentleman about giving up their seats. As more people crowded into the carriage Hermione was pushed into Severus and his arm wrapped around her to steady them. It felt good, actually no, it felt wonderful.

* * *

I woke up having dreamed about this story and how I hadn't finished it so I decided to write some more. This has not been edited, it is very raw so please excuse any flotsam and jetsam. Would have loved to finish it but we're going out for the day and this is all I can manage. Enjoy!


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